Which moon phases do you work with?

Almost universally, witches who honor the moon phases most often work with the full moon, however the moon goes through a lot of other changes during its cycle. What phases of the moon do you work with (personally or in a group), and what significance does each have to you?

Replies to This Discussion

Great group leisha. I find the phase of the moon i have been working with a lot lately is the waning moon. I find it very powerful when i need to banish something a feeling etc. And i've needed to do this a lot lately.

For example:

I needed to banish negative feelings i had towards an old friend who wasn't really a friend. During the waning moon i wrote her a letter, burned the letter. I felt this was appropriate in really ending connection between me and her.

I do the majority of my work with the Full Moon, as I hold solitary Esbat celebrations. However, if there is something that should come up after the moon has waxed to Full but not yet waned to New then I will perform any necessary workings with the New Moon. I do very little work with the waxing or waning phases, honestly, but if the need arises I prefer to work with either the Waxing Gibbous Moon, or the Last Quarter Moon. Sometimes an issue can't wait for too long, so we do the best we can.

Lately I've begun to consider how I might also hold an Esbat during the New Moon in honor and worship of the Goddess as Dark Mother/Crone; as of yet I'm still in the early stages of ritual composition.

I work with all the moon phases depending on the ritual, and if a ritual needs to be done in a pinch I adapt it to the specific moon phase that is happening overhead for instance if I am working for health if it happens to be a waning moon, banishing and dissipating illness is how I would adapt it. I don't let the moon phase get in the way of a ritual that is needed in a pinch. I do however work for gains during the waxing, work for diminishing during the waning. Full and Dark moons I do specific Esbat rituals. And the New moon is for any spells or rituals that are intended for bringing something new into my life.

For the last few years, the dark moon and waning moon have been very significant for my practice, I often work with banishing and getting rid of all the old stuff that is no longer serving me, I also find that my psychic flow is more fluid during the waning and dark phase for some reason.